Too many actives?
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Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:44 am

Can you have so many actives in a product that is can cause clogged pores? And if you do the math for 5% this and 2% that... does adding more acctives completely alter those calculations? I've been reading and referencing to this site for a while, but this is my first post. Thanks.

free skin care · Fri Sep 03, 2010 4:28 pm

I can't comment on the pore clogging but yes adding more actives will change the overall % of each active, depending upon how much bulk is in that active. There comes a point where your base (either cream or liquid) is saturated and just can't take anymore additives. Especially if you are using powdered actives that must be dissolved in your base.

I've discovered in my own formulating that the more simple a formula is (built around a key active or purpose) the better it works. Just dumping all the actives you think you might want to use into one base will not be as effective as creating specialised products. That can come down to many things including....

1. Lower %'s of the active ingredients in the overall base so that it becomes ineffective.
2. Conflicting pH requirements. Some actives need a certain pH to really work their magic. Acids for example need a low pH to work and that may destroy some other actives.
3. Confusion about the purpose of a product such that it does nothing particularly well.
4. Some actives are better worn at night and others in day. If you put them all in the one base you have no choice about when to use them.
5. Active overlap vs synergy. More is not always better and a base containing several actives that all do a similar thing may be less effective than two actives which work well together and compliment each other.

Overdoing skincare can produce negative results. If you take the time to read this forum you will find many posts in which people have done too much to their skin resulting in dryness and increased wrinkle appearance as well accelerated ageing. Your skin can only take so much. There is no quick fix. Getting better skin is a matter of supporting the skins natural cycle in which it is completely renewed every 30 days. Allow your products to be gentle yet effective and to gradually change the skin over time.

My advice if you are starting out is to use recipes of simple products proven to work. There are plenty here. Use them for the first month and see what you think then gradually change them over time to suit your skin. Commercial products often have ingredients lists a mile long, but most of those ingredients are inert waxes and silicones designed to improve the feel of the product for marketing purposes. They are usually concentrated around just one or two active ingredients. Not all botanicals are actives btw, some just provide fragrance, colouration and even...yes...even marketing mojo.

free skin care · Sun Sep 05, 2010 3:50 pm

Thank you for starting this thread. I got on-line just now with the very same question. How many actives can/do you use. There are so many out there and after reading this thread, I'm certain I have way too much going on in my "magic serum". Now I know why I'm not seeing any majic. Laughing

NotmeNotyou, can you recommend a few good actives for firming and/or making pores look smaller? Thanks for your advice.

free skin care · Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:15 pm

I would definately start with a Vit C serum. It's the go to product for many forum users here and produces the results you are looking for over the long term. Topical Vit C is the cornerstone of most skin care lines precisely because it produces results. Kassy has posted some recipes here for a C, E & Ferulic serum which most people report good results. You can find it by searching for the thread.

For skin firming I highly recommend the Tanaka massage, there is also a thread about it. I've been doing it for just 5 days (once per day) and have been blown away with the results. It's free.

For pores I recommend basic fresh brewed green tea. It's excellent as a toner.

I don't have problematic skin so my skin care regime centres around basic skin nutrition and health. I use only natural oils, sea kelp ferment and hyaluronic acid. I am currently testing kojic acid as a de-pigmenter as well.

free skin care · Mon Sep 06, 2010 4:10 am

NotMeNotYou wrote:

I would definately start with a Vit C serum. It's the go to product for many forum users here and produces the results you are looking for over the long term. Topical Vit C is the cornerstone of most skin care lines precisely because it produces results. Kassy has posted some recipes here for a C, E & Ferulic serum which most people report good results. You can find it by searching for the thread.

For skin firming I highly recommend the Tanaka massage, there is also a thread about it. I've been doing it for just 5 days (once per day) and have been blown away with the results. It's free.

For pores I recommend basic fresh brewed green tea. It's excellent as a toner.

I don't have problematic skin so my skin care regime centres around basic skin nutrition and health. I use only natural oils, sea kelp ferment and hyaluronic acid. I am currently testing kojic acid as a de-pigmenter as well.

Thanks for the info. My first DYI project was Kassy's serum. How could I not with all the great comments made about it. I love it. I will def look into the massage. I like the sound of that. Question about the green Tea: Do you just brew regular old green tea and put it on your face with a cotton ball? How often do I brew the tea, and I'm assuming I should keep it in the fridg? Thanks again!

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